LAWMAKERS AND IMMIGRATION ADVOCATES ARE ALSO PUSHING FOR STATE FUNDING TO SUPPORT IMMIGRANT COMMUNITIES AND TO HELP WITH THE RECENT INFLUX OF ASYLUM-SEEKERS.

TO UNDERSTAND HOW THE GOVERNOR AND LEGISLATURE'S RESPECTIVE PROPOSALS HAVE BEEN RECEIVED, WE CAUGHT UP WITH MURAD AWAWDEH OF THE NEW YORK IMMIGRATION COALITION.

HERE'S THAT CONVERSATION.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR MAKING THE TIME, MURAD.

THANKS SO MUCH FOR HAVING ME.

OF COURSE, NATURALLY, I WANTED TO START ON THE STATE BUDGET.

WE ARE IN THE MIDST OF BUDGET NEGOTIATIONS.

I WANTED TO GET YOUR PERSPECTIVE ON WHAT THE LEGISLATURE AND THE GOVERNOR ARE PROPOSING.

WE KNOW IN THE EXECUTIVE BUDGET, GOVERNOR KATHY HOCHUL PROPOSED $2.4 BILLION TO HELP WITH THE MIGRANT CRISIS, 500 MILLION OF WHICH WOULD COME FROM THE STATE'S RESERVE.

AND IN THE LEGISLATURE'S ONE HOUSE BUDGET PROPOSAL, THEY INCLUDED FUNDING FOR HEALTHCARE, AS WELL AS LEGAL SERVICES FOR IMMIGRATION.

I WANTED TO GET YOUR PERSPECTIVE ON THOSE PROPOSALS.

IT SEEMED LIKE GENERALLY THE COALITION WAS IN SUPPORT OF IT, BUT, OF COURSE, I WANTED TO HEAR FROM YOU DIRECTLY.

NO, YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY CORRECT.

AND THE GOVERNOR MADE SOME VERY BOLD INVESTMENTS IN HER EXECUTIVE BUDGET TO ENSURE THAT ALL NEW YORKERS HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO THRIVE IN OUR GREAT STATE OF NEW YORK.

AND SHE ALSO INCLUDED $45 MILLION FOR IMMIGRATION LEGAL SERVICES AT A STATEWIDE LEVEL, WHICH IS 20 MILLION SHORT OF LAST YEAR, AND ABOUT 105 MILLION SHORT OF OUR ASK THIS YEAR.

THE SENATE AND ASSEMBLY ONE HOUSE HAS INCREASED THAT TO ABOUT $75 MILLION, AND WE'RE STILL GOING TO CONTINUE TO ADVOCATE FOR ADDITIONAL RESOURCES.

WHAT WE KNOW IS THAT IMMIGRATION LEGAL SERVICES WERE STRAINED, AND BACKLOGGED MANY YEARS AGO AND THEY ARE -- WE WANT TO MAKE SURE WE'RE BUILDING TOWARDS A STRONGER, MORE PROSPEROUS ECOSYSTEM THAT ALLOWS FOR LEGAL SERVICES TO THRIVE HERE IN THE STATE OF NEW YORK.

SO IN TERMS OF LEGAL SERVICES FOR IMMIGRANTS, CAN YOU DESCRIBE THE IMPACT THE LEGAL SERVICES THAT THE LEGISLATURE AND THE GOVERNOR ARE PROPOSING VERSUS THE ACCESS TO REPRESENTATION ACT, ARE THEY THE SAME, OR ARE THERE ANY DIFFERENCES YOU ARE HOPING MAKE IT INTO THE FINAL ENACTED BUDGET?

SO THE ACCESS TO REPRESENTATION ACT IS A BILL THAT WOULD MAKE LEGAL REPRESENTATION A RIGHT SIMILAR WHEN YOU'RE IN CRIMINAL COURT.

ARA WOULD MAKE IT A RIGHT THAT WHEN YOU'RE IN IMMIGRATION COURT, YOU HAVE AN IMMIGRATION ATTORNEY APPOINTED TO YOU.

AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WOULD BE THE FIRST IN THE NATION.

THAT'S NOT HAPPENED ANYWHERE IN THE COUNTRY.

AND THAT'S SOMETHING WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON FOR THE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS, BECAUSE IT IS SO CRITICAL.

WE'VE BEEN SEEING THAT PEOPLE WHO GO IN FRONT OF A COURT, IMMIGRATION COURT, ARE TEN TIMES MORE LIKELY TO WIN THEIR CASE WHEN THEY HAVE AN IMMIGRATION ATTORNEY AS OPPOSED TO WINNING THEIR CASE 16 PERCENT OF THE TIME WITHOUT AN ATTORNEY.

AND THIS IS ALL ABOUT KEEPING OUR FAMILIES TOGETHER, STRENGTHENING OUR LOCAL ECONOMY ENSURING THAT OUR COMMUNITIES THAT ARE CONTRIBUTING OVER $62 BILLION OF TAX REVENUE IN OUR STATE ARE ACTUALLY GETTING SOME SUPPORT WHEN THEY'RE GOING THROUGH SOME CHALLENGING TIMES.

I WANTED TO GET YOUR PERSPECTIVE ON THE CRITICISM OF THAT BILL.

A LOT OF REPUBLICAN LEADERS AND LAWMAKERS HAVE SAID THAT THEY DON'T THINK IT MAKES SENSE FOR THE STATE TO INVEST IN IMMIGRATION LEGAL SERVICES.

IN FACT, THEY THINK IT MAKES MORE SENSE FOR THE STATE TO BE FIRST MAKING IT THEIR PRIORITY TO FOCUS ON NEW YORKERS AND HAVE IMMIGRATION LEGAL SERVICES BE LIKE AN AFTERTHOUGHT.

WHAT IS YOUR RESPONSE TO THAT CRITICISM?

IMMIGRANTS HAVE BEEN MAKING NEW YORK THE GREAT STATE THAT IT IS FOR CENTURIES.

WE'VE SEEN EVERY WAVE OF IMMIGRATION REALLY CONTRIBUTE TO THE FABRIC OF WHAT WE CALL OUR GREAT STATE OF NEW YORK, FROM OUR ROADS, TO OUR SKYSCRAPERS, TO OUR LOCAL ECONOMIES.

THE IMPACT OF THE IMMIGRANT COMMUNITY HAS BEEN SIGNIFICANT IN BUILDING OUR GREAT STATE.

AND I MENTIONED EARLIER, WE ARE CONTRIBUTING OVER $62 BILLION IN TAX REVENUE TO THE STATE, SPENDING OVER $200 BILLION IN THIS STATE.

I THINK OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS ON -- OUR REPUBLICAN ELECTED OFFICIALS MAY BE MISCONSTRUING WHO NEW YORKERS ARE, BUT IMMIGRANTS ARE NEW YORK, AND THEY HAVE BEEN FOR QUITE SOME TIME.

AND THIS IS A TINY INVESTMENT.

IT'S $150 MILLION OUT OF ALMOST A $240 BILLION BUDGET.

SO IT'S LESS THAN A DROP IN THE BUCKET IN PROVIDING PEOPLE WITH THE SERVICES AND SUPPORTS THEY NEED TO ACTUALLY INTEGRATE BETTER SO THEY CAN BE LIVING A MORE THRIVING LIFE HERE, AND ALSO CONTRIBUTING MORE BACK INTO SOCIETY.

AND IN TERMS OF THE FINAL ENACTED BUDGET, WHAT WOULD YOU SAY ARE THE NONNEGOTIABLES FOR YOUR COALITION, THAT THEY'RE HOPING SPECIFIC ASPECTS MAKE IT INTO THE FINAL BUDGET?

WHAT DO THOSE LOOK LIKE?

OBVIOUSLY IMMIGRATION LEGAL SERVICES AT AN INCREASED RATE.

MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE INVESTING IN THE ECOSYSTEM OF IMMIGRATION LEGAL SERVICES BECAUSE IT'S ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY.

WE NEED TO BUILD OUT THAT SYSTEM AND ENSURE THAT IT'S GOING TO BE ABLE TO WITHSTAND NOT JUST WHAT WE NEEDED FOR IT FOR YESTERDAY BUT AS WELL POWER US INTO THE FUTURE.

AS WELL AS MAKING SURE WE'RE PROVIDING PEOPLE WITH SUPPORTS ACROSS NEW YORK WITH HOUSING ASSISTANCE VOUCHER PROGRAM.

AS YOU SEE, WE HAVE AFFORDABILITY CRISIS THAT'S BEEN HAPPENING FOR YEARS NOW, AND PEOPLE ARE GETTING PUSHED OUT OF THEIR HOMES.

THEY JUST NEED A LITTLE BIT OF HELP WITH GETTING FINANCIAL SUPPORT TO STAY IN THEIR HOMES SO THEY DON'T END UP IN A HOMELESS SHELTER, AS WELL AS MAKING SURE THAT FAMILIES ARE GETTING THEIR CREDIT, AND THAT WE EXPAND TAX CREDITS HERE IN THE STATE TO FAMILIES AND CREATE THE WORKING FAMILY TAX CREDIT, WHICH IS ALSO IN THE SENATE ONE HOUSE.

AS WELL AS MAKING SURE THAT OUR LANGUAGE ACCESS SKILLS IN THE STATE ARE IMPROVED.

WE ALREADY HAD THE OFFICE OF LANGUAGE ACCESS, WHICH WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT.

BUT WE WANT TO SEE THEM GET ADDITIONAL RESOURCES TO THE TUNE OF AN ADDITIONAL $10 MILLION SO THEY'RE ABLE TO CREATE WORKER CO-OPS OF LANGUAGE INTERPRETERS ACROSS THE STATE OF NEW YORK.

WE HAVE A COUPLE OF OTHER ASKS.

EVERYTHING IS IN THE BETTERMENT AND ALLOWS FOR OUR STATE TO CONTINUE TO POWER ITSELF, BECAUSE OUR NUMBER ONE ASSET -- I THINK THAT PEOPLE TEND TO FORGET THIS -- OUR NUMBER ONE ASSET AS A STATE IS OUR PEOPLE.

WHEN WE MAKE AN INVESTMENT IN NEW YORKERS, THE RATE OF RETURN IS A THOUSAND-FOLD.

AND DO YOU THINK THE STATE IS DOING ENOUGH TO RALLY FOR FEDERAL FUNDING FOR IMMIGRATION SERVICES?

I THINK THAT GOVERNOR HOCHUL, GIVING CREDIT WHERE IT'S DUE, HAS BEEN A PRETTY GREAT ADVOCATE IN DEMANDING ADDITIONAL RESOURCES FOR THE STATE.

WE GOT SOME RESOURCES THROUGH THE SST PROGRAM BUT WE ALSO ARE RECEIVING OTHER RESOURCES THROUGH OTHER AGENCIES.

LIKE THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL HAS SENT US RESOURCES AS WELL.

AND SHE'S BEEN PRETTY GOOD AT ENSURING THAT OUR COMMUNITY ACROSS THE STATE IS RECEIVING SUPPORTS, BUT ALSO HER GOING TO BAT IN D.C. TO FIGHT FOR MORE FUNDING HAS BEEN REALLY GREAT.

AND WE KNOW THE RECENT INFLUX OF MIGRANTS HAS CREATED A HEIGHTENED AWARENESS AROUND IMMIGRATION ISSUES BUT, OF COURSE, IMMIGRATION ISN'T A NEW ISSUE.

SO I'M JUST CURIOUS, HOW ARE YOU HOPING THAT THE COALITION WILL BUILD ON THE MOMENTUM AROUND IMMIGRATION SERVICES IN THE YEARS TO COME AND ENSURE THAT THE STATE CONTINUES TO PROVIDE FUNDING FOR IMMIGRATION SERVICES?

THE NEW YORK IMMIGRATION COALITION IS THE OLDEST AND LARGEST IMMIGRANT RIGHTS ORGANIZATION IN THE U.S. WE'VE BEEN DOING THIS WORK FOR NEARLY 40 YEARS AT THIS POINT AND CONTINUE TO POWER FORWARD AND MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE DELIVERING FOR OUR COMMUNITIES, BUT ALSO OUR STATE.

AND THE BIGGER PIECE HERE IS THAT NO MATTER WHICH MOMENT WE'RE FACED WITH, IF IT'S HELPING RESETTLE AFGHANIS WHO FLED WHEN THE GOVERNMENT COLLAPSED A COUPLE YEARS AGO, OR HELPING RESETTLE UKRAINIANS, OR NOW WITH THE INCREASE OF THE PEOPLE COMING FROM THE SOUTHERN BORDER, OUR ORGANIZATION, OUR MEMBERSHIP, OVER 200 MEMBER ORGANIZATIONS ACROSS NEW YORK HAVE ALWAYS STEPPED UP TO DELIVER FOR OUR PEOPLE AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO DO THAT.

AND I THINK THAT WE JUST NEED OUR STATE TO ALSO STEP UP WITH US AND ENSURE THAT WE'RE ABLE TO DELIVER REALLY QUALITY PROGRAMMING AND SERVICES FOR OUR COMMUNITIES, WITH IMMIGRATION LEGAL SERVICES BEING AT THE TOP OF THE LIST AND EVERYTHING ELSE THAT ANYONE NEEDS TO SURVIVE AND THRIVE HERE.

WELL, THAT'S ALL THE TIME WE HAVE FOR TODAY.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR TAKING THE TIME.

THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.

AND WE WERE SPEAKING WITH MURAD AWAWDEH, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE NEW YORK IMMIGRATION COALITION.

AND FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THE CALLS FOR IMMIGRATION FUNDING THIS YEAR AND FOR BUDGET UPDATES, YOU CAN VISIT OUR WEBSITE.

AGAIN, THAT'S AT NYNOW.ORG.